Located in Glencoe, the Chicago Botanic Garden is home to 27 gardens on 385 acres and even boasts a new 26,700-square-foot learning center to boot. Kids will love climbing roly-poly hills in the Nature Play Garden, running on the grassy Esplanade, and marching over the arched bridges of the Japanese Garden.

This museum might be 30 minutes outside of the Loop, but it’s worth mentioning thanks to the 17 permanent exhibits that will get your child’s imagination firing. Don’t miss the popular pet vet center, the water works station, and a lifelike simulated Whole Foods Market.

School-aged children who are learning about the Second World War or Jewish history will find in-depth educational resources, an impressive art collection, and memorable exhibits at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Don’t miss the Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition—geared toward 8- to 12-year-olds—where kids use hands-on activities to foster leadership skills, empathy, and self-esteem.

This Lincoln Park museum uses hands-on exhibits to explore Illinois ecology and natural history. Check out a butterfly greenhouse, splash in water tables to explore how rivers work, and learn how the museum hatches and raises wetland animals like turtles.

One of the most exciting parks to open in Chicago in recent years, the 606 trail was made possible by converting an abandoned rail line along Bloomingdale Avenue into a new public park space and a popular pedestrian and cycling path. There are also a few art installations to check out along the way.

There are plenty of other attractions from Navy Pier included on this list, but we would be remiss if we didn’t include the Ferris Wheel. At 200-feet high, the Centennial Wheel offers 360-degree views and enclosed gondolas, making it a child favorite no matter the season.

This Navy Pier outpost will spark imaginations as kids dig for bones on a dinosaur expedition, tinker with real tools in a DIY maker space, and paint or sketch in an art studio. Best for children aged 10 and under, the Chicago Children’s Museum is a don’t-miss attraction.

The Chicago Riverwalk stretches nearly one and a half miles from the western end of the Loop to Lake Michigan. In addition to its food and beverage offerings, the Chicago Riverwalk features playful art installations and fishing piers.

The Chicago Architecture Center has a home at the base of Mies van der Rohe’s 1970 Illinois Center office complex and offers an array of children’s and family programming that explores the built environment. Get ready for an interactive 3D map of Chicago’s cityscape and stories of history and culture that visitors can control.

This former Chicago Public Library building sits in the Loop neighborhood and boasts top-notch domed architecture that will have adults snapping nonstop photos. But kids will also love the free exhibitions, concerts, and theater performances.

Wander through the 25-acre Millennium Park in the Loop and you’ll find a three-story steel sculpture entitled Cloud Gate—though locals affectionally call it “The Bean”—that will wow kids with its reflection of the Chicago skyline.

Illinois’s most popular attraction also boasts the gorgeous 3.5-acre Lurie Garden, the Crown Fountain, rock climbing, ice-skating, and a large playground. There’s also an outdoor concert pavilion designed by Frank Gehry that hosts live music and movies in the summer.

Located in the Loop, the recently revamped kid-focused Maggie Daley Park features Chicago’s only outdoor climbing park, a path-like “skating ribbon” in the winter, tennis courts, and picnic spots. Don’t miss the 3-acre play garden. You’ll have to drag kids under 12 off of the imaginative equipment, including an enchanted forest, wave lawn, and an array of slides.

Don’t be intimidated by the world-class art at the Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. This haven for all things cultural is also an oasis for kids, and children under 14 get in for free.

Pick up a family-centric mini-tour or self-guide from the Ryan Learning Center—located on the first level of the Modern Wing—or head to the Vitale Family Room for puzzles, books, and colorful blocks.

This truly iconic skyscraper, which has also become an immediately identifiable symbol of Chicago, was the world's tallest building for nearly 30 years. Designed by architects Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan, the Willis Tower has an observational skydeck and the tour provides a brief history of Chicago and the building’s architecture.

Older kids will like the Ledge, a glass box that extends 4.3 feet out from the building to provide a disorienting view of the street below.

The main branch of the Chicago Public Library, the postmodern Harold Washington building boasts an entire second floor of children’s books, games, hands-on activities, and multimedia tools that are perfect when inclement weather strikes. Head to the ninth floor to see a gorgeous winter garden with stunning glass ceilings.

One of the prettiest planetariums in the county, Adler Planetarium has been exposing locals to Chicago’s sky since it opened in 1930. See the moon through an aperture telescope, watch sky shows, or pretend to be space explorers in the hands-on Planet Explorer area.

This Grant Park natural history museum offers dinosaurs like Maximo the titanosaur and SUE, the world’s largest, best-preserved, and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex. You can also see a real mummy, experience an array of hands-on activities in the Crown Family Play Lab, and watch a rotating schedule of 3D movies.

Geared toward children 4 to 12, the National Museum of Mexican Art in the Pilsen neighborhood offers a 10,000-piece permanent collection that showcases the richness of Mexican art and culture. Highlights include bilingual camps, art classes, and family-centric gallery tours.

Don’t be overwhelmed by one of the world’s largest science museums, home to 35,000 artifacts and 14 acres of exhibits. Break it down into manageable pieces—it would take days to see everything—and be on the lookout for a live tornado, a huge train exhibit, a recreated coal mine, and an intricate fairy castle.

Older kids and preteens love the Muntu Dance Theater, a dance company that performs authentic and progressive interpretations of contemporary and traditional African and African-American dance, music, and folklore. Head to their calendar to see where they are performing and for more details on show times.